outreach - "them vs us"

[Ellen <Russak>]

It was written: "as "the public" includes big business, these 
collaborations are not going to be collaborations at all, they 
are simply going to be one more route by which industry defends 
its interests -- interests that are not the same as those of the 
general population. Let's face facts and realize that there isn't 
"the public", and there certainly aren't nicely symmetrical and 
abstract "stakeholders", there are the polluters and the rest of 
us. And the polluters have the money to have professional 
representation at every meeting, and to buy the support of local 
politicos -- we do not."

As a non-professional, "average Joe" in this dialog, I can only 
report my experiences and perceptions.  It seems to me that all 
the good intentions in the world (and I am not advocating doing 
nothing) will not be able to overcome the reality stated above 
until the politicians are not beholden to big contributors in 
order to be elected.  Since I assume that the EPA and DEP at some 
basic level are beholden to our politicians, we go back full 
circle to the big money contributors being the ones calling the 
shots.

Creating a policy to be more transparent and inclusive of the 
communities and stakeholders is a fine goal and I'm all for it.  
It will help treat one of the "symptoms."  To treat the 
"disease," we would have to have comprehensive and "real" 
campaign finance reform and get rid of the best legisla